Position Purpose and Impact

• Aspira's Director of Data Platform is critical member of our information management and analytics team. Leading efforts in data governance, quality, and metadata capture, and driving comprehensive data management strategies, incumbent will serve as an expert leader in both technical and commercial aspects of data management. Collaborating business teams to drive change and promote the adoption of data management principles to enhance data quality, efficiency, insights, and problem-solving capabilities, Incumbent will ensure that data quality requirements are met and reported on, playing a crucial role as we transition from concept to implementation in data quality initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a comprehensive data platform strategy aligned with company goals and objectives.
• Lead the design, implementation, and maintenance of our data architecture, ensuring scalability, reliability, and performance.
• Oversee data governance processes and policies to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and industry best practices.
• Ensure that data quality requirements are routinely satisfied and represented in our key performance KPIs by influencing the delivery of numerous execution/agile teams.
• Create curriculum, job aids, and training materials to use with our agile teams to emphasize the significance of data quality at every phase of our development life cycle.
• Participate in and influence the development of a data quality roadmap that optimizes people, processes, and technology to raise our data quality maturity level.
• Proactively offer advice on ownership and stewardship of important projects, as well as on critical quality acceptance standards such correctness, timeliness, validity, completeness, utilization, and availability of data.
• Partner with product management and engineering teams to integrate data-driven features and capabilities into our products and services.
• Stay abreast of emerging trends and technologies in data management and analytics, evaluating their potential impact on our business and making recommendations for adoption as appropriate.
• Undertake complicated data profiling and data quality analysis and convey results clearly to help business understanding of problems and effects.
• Support the development of the roles and duties of our data stewards and business owners.
• Work with partners to submit and examine any governance artifacts.
• Assure that information and data are handled in line with accepted laws, rules, and policies.
• Assist with the establishment, upkeep, and control of taxonomies, ensuring they are applicable to content and/or data.
• Encourage the application of metadata standards by supporting awareness and training for agile teams.
• Create data transformation rules, data lineage documentation, and metadata documentation for important programs and initiatives.
• Create a model for reference data management.
• Actively spread awareness of programs across the organization while promoting a value proposition and culture for knowledge sharing.
• Collaborate with other departments, divisions, or projects to achieve shared goals.
• Lead Aspira’s Company culture fostering teamwork, collaboration, transparent communication, and accountability within all actions.
• Perform position in a manner in which self-actions represent and create an engaged employee environment where each employee is treated fairly, personnel are aware of Company goals and goal status, information is transparent, dialogue is active, and all staff are encouraged to act with their best behaviors and skills each day.
• Promote Company and Information Technology business policies and procedures, the quality of its products and reputation, and consistently supports compliance by maintaining the privacy and confidentiality of information, protecting the assets of the organization, and acting with ethics and integrity.
• Support Information Technology management and the Company by completing other objectives as assigned and as needed by the business to achieve goals; travels willingly and as needed by the business and position.

Desired Qualifications

• Solid understanding of data governance principles, regulatory compliance requirements (e.g., GDPR, CCPA), and security best practices.
• Strong leadership qualities, including the ability to inspire and motivate teams, provide clear direction, and foster a collaborative and inclusive work environment. Track record of building and developing high-performing teams.
• Able to analyze complex data-related challenges, identify root causes, and develop innovative solutions to address them.
• Proficient at translating technical concepts into business terms and effectively communicate with non-technical stakeholders. Ability to clearly convey ideas, designs, and concepts and to modify communication according to the audience
• Ability to make a compelling argument for change by combining storytelling, data visualization, and data management expertise.
• Capable of developing and executing comprehensive data platform strategy aligned with the company's goals and objectives. This includes anticipating future data needs and trends and proactively planning for scalability and innovation.
• Adept at driving organizational change and promoting the adoption of data management principles and best practices across the company.
• Passionate about the field, staying abreast of emerging technologies, best practices, and industry developments to ensure the organization remains at the forefront of data innovation.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to effectively collaborate with cross-functional teams and communicate complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.
• Strong leadership and people management skills, with a track record of building and developing high-performing teams.
• Proven ability to think strategically, drive innovation, and deliver measurable business results through data-driven decision-making. Ability to manage risks, pinpoint problems, find solutions, and escalate problems as required

Desired Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, data science or other related discipline with a Masters degree preferred.
• 7 – 10 years’ experience within a leadership role overseeing data platform and analytics initiatives within a SaaS or technology-driven organization.
• 7 years’ management experience within a Data Platform, Data Governance, Data Quality or similar data role for an onsite and remote onshore and offshore team.
• Expertise with data analysis/querying software like Python, SAS, or SQL
• 5 – 7 years’ experience within positions with data management, database design, and data warehousing, with hands-on experience with modern data technologies and platforms (e.g., Python, SAS, SQL, NoSQL, Hadoop, Spark, AWS, Azure).
• Demonstrated proficient understanding of data governance principles, regulatory compliance requirements (e.g., GDPR, CCPA), and security best practices.

Desired Hardware and Software Competency

Hardware Competencies:

• Understanding of hardware infrastructure requirements for data storage, processing, and analytics
• Knowledge of server architectures, networking, and storage technologies
• Ability to assess hardware scalability, performance, and reliability needs for data platform infrastructure
• Familiarity with cloud computing platforms and their hardware configurations (e.g., AWS, Azure, Google Cloud)

Software Competencies:

• Proficiency in database management systems (e.g., SQL Server, MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle)
• Experience with big data technologies and distributed computing frameworks (e.g., Hadoop, Spark, Kafka)
• Knowledge of data warehousing solutions (e.g., AWS EMR, Snowflake, Amazon Redshift, Google BigQuery)
• Expertise in data integration and ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) tools and processes (e.g., AWS Glue, Informatica, Talend, Apache NiFi)
• Familiarity with analytics and visualization tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI, Google Data Studio)
• Understanding of programming languages commonly used in data engineering and analytics (e.g., Python, R, Java, Scala)
• Proficient in using version control systems (e.g., Git) and DevOps practices for managing data platform infrastructure as code
• Experience with containerization and orchestration tools (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes) for deploying and managing data platform components.
• Knowledge of security and encryption technologies for protecting sensitive data at rest and in transit
• Microsoft Suites Intermediate Level: professional usage of suites in an office setting
• Microsoft Excel Advanced Level: proficient with v-lookups, bar/line chart comprehension, and basic formulas, advanced functions, macros, and is efficient with utilizing excel for data analysis and data automation.

General Physical Demands

• The below physical demands are representative of those required to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.
• Visual Acuity: Close visual acuity to read and analyze data on a computer monitor.
• Hearing Ability: Must be able to communicate effectively in person, over the phone, and through electronic media.
• Manual Dexterity: Operation of a phone, keyboard, mouse, and general office equipment.
• Repetitive Motion: Regular and consistent use of hands and fingers for typing, writing, and other computer-related tasks.
• Lifting and Carrying: Occasional lifting and carrying of office supplies and materials weighing up to 10 pounds.
• Sedentary Work and Body Position: The majority of work is performed while stationary or sitting at a desk or computer workstation. Prolonged periods of sitting and working on a computer are required. The ability to maintain the required body positions for extended periods, including sitting and using a computer is required. The ability to move within an office setting as well as departing and returning to a workstation punctually for assigned breaks periods is required.